Ryan Kalil of the Carolina Panthers runs on to the field during player introductions prior to the game against the Tennessee Titans at Bank of America Stadium on November 13, 2011 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Brian A. Westerholt/Getty Images)

The Carolina Panthers Pro Bowl center purchased an ad in the Charlotte Observer and in it he predicts the club will win the Super Bowl this season in New Orleans. Kalil wrote an open letter to fans thanking them for their “unwavering support” and promising they would be rewarded this season with a “one hundred-percent, sterling silver victory. The Lombardi Trophy.”

“We’ve said it in the past in meeting rooms and behind closed doors. This year’s different. There’s a sense of urgency, a winning attitude that I haven’t seen before. And it’s in the way we prepare. It’s in the way we approach each work day, and I think fans will see it in the way that we play.”

It is an exciting time for the club as it enters its second season with Ron Rivera as coach. He instilled a fresh attitude last season and quarterback Cam Newton proved to be a dynamic performer from the outset. There are some building blocks in place, there is no question about that.

“There’s something different going on with the Panthers. There’s a different attitude, a sense of urgency, a different mindset that I haven’t seen since I’ve been here,” Kalil said. “And the sentiment is widespread. It’s not just in the players or the coaches. But the entire organization.”